


Mate for Life

by sb_essebi



Series: Whouffaldi one-shots [13]
Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: 12 is an idiot, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Marriage Proposal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-19
Updated: 2015-05-19
Packaged: 2019-02-01 09:13:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,760
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12701847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sb_essebi/pseuds/sb_essebi
Summary: Prompt by apollostowel: how about a marriage proposal? You can make him Mr. Suave, or have him completely bungle everything, or something in between.





	Mate for Life

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Apollostowel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Apollostowel/gifts).



"Okay, you were right. It really is amazing." Clara breathed, completely stunned at the sight that had welcomed her as soon as she had exited the TARDIS.

When she had asked the Doctor where they were going, he had simply smiled mischievously and stated that it was a surprise, "but it's the most amazing place I've ever taken you to," he had added.

And here they were, in a large corridor, maybe two or three meters wide and dozens of meters tall. The roof was transparent, as was the floor, so she could see the open space, stars and galaxies and planets, both over and underneath her. It would have been like floating in the middle of the universe, if the walls of the corridor in front and behind her hadn't been huge aquariums, the transparent walls this time opening to the view not of stars but of water and corals and colourful tropical fishes. He had taken her to see open space. He had taken her to see the deep ocean. But never both, never like this. It was stunning, she didn't know where to look. The contrast between the black of the sky and the luminous blue-green of the water was so intense and unusual that it should have felt wrong, but it didn't. It was absolutely spectacular.

"Thank you," Clara said after a long time contemplating that marvellous sight.

She pulled him close and stood on her tiptoes to press a lingering kiss to his lips, running her right hand through his soft curls. She loved his hair long like this, he was never allowed to cut it short ever again, she had made it clear enough to him in the few months they had been together. Truly together, as a couple, kissing and touching - she would never get tired of being finally free to touch him. He would babble something every once in a while about humans being sex obsessed, but she hadn't heard him complain yet.

"Care to explore a little?" the Doctor asked as they parted.

"Do you even need to ask?" she replied with a grin, pulling him by the sleeve of his coat at first, then holding his hand.

He followed her lead, happily telling her everything he knew about that planet above their heads, that galaxy under their feet, that huge shark swimming placidly in the distance. As always, Clara alternated listening ravished to every word he said and watching him as his own enthusiasm lighted up his handsome features, multiplying those wrinkles she loved around his eyes, inflaming that spark in his pupils that she had always adored and that only appeared when he was entirely focused on and devoted to a single topic, usually the beauty around them or his admiration for the human race. However, as she had realized maybe a little too slowly, his eyes would shine just as intensely simply every time he looked at her. She didn't know if her eyes were as telling as his when it came to her feelings for him, but she made sure to tell him that she loved him often enough for him to never doubt.

"Why are we alone?" she asked eventually, interrupting his explanation of the eating habits of moray eels. They had been walking for quite a while now, but there wasn't a single soul around.

"It's not open to the public yet. It's the day before the inauguration. Advantages of time travel," he joked, smiling knowingly. "So we have the place all to ourselves. I told you, it's a surprise." He winked at her, but his voice trembled slightly and his grip on her hand tightened imperceptibly, a slight blush creeping up his cheeks.

"Is there something you are not telling me?"

"Of course, Clara.  _It's a_   _surprise_."

"And you're not telling me what it is?"

"I'll tell you when I'll tell you. Come, I want to show you a thing."

"You're changing topic!" she exclaimed, laughing softly, but she followed him when he grabbed her hand.

They didn't walk for too long a way, passing by the most beautiful fishes and aquatic creatures, until they arrived to a tank with very vivaciously coloured plants but no inhabitants, or at least she thought so until she looked more carefully and finally saw them. They were only two fishes, and she had to say that they were  _really_  ugly: small, mud-brown and deformed, with one fin bigger than the other and creepy, bulbous empty eyes. They swam very close to each other, almost touching, as though trying to maintain as little distance between them as possible. Clara expected the Doctor to keep moving, but he stopped, smiling at the creatures, gently pressing a finger on the glass of the wall to see them approach, curious.

"Doctor? Why did we stop?"

"These. I wanted to show you these. They're called Kria Areos. Their native planet is Keriandas."

She gave a closer look, attempting to guess the reason of his interest.

"Why are they so special? Do they have superpowers or something? They don't look very interesting to me."

"No, no, of course they don't have superpowers, Clara. But you see, they are very, very interesting. Their name in the language of Keriandas means "lifelong mates". Once they choose a partner, they mate for life." He paused, moving his finger to see one of the fishes chase it intently, immediately followed by its partner. "They bond so profoundly," the Doctor continued, "that they can't bear to stay mere inches away from each other." He glanced at her briefly, giving her a small smile. "Don't you see, Clara? You're like this fish."

"Ugly and with no superpowers?" She sighed. "You really know how to compliment a girl, Doctor."

"No! No, no, no, I meant- I meant that you are my mate for life, Clara."

She smiled at that. "Am I now?" she asked, looking up at him, playing with the curls behind his ear, scratching lightly where she knew it drove him mad. He leant into her touch for a moment with an approving hum before regaining control.

" _Stop it_ , stop with the touching. I'm trying to ask you something."

"And what would that be?" she laughed softly.

To her wide-eyed surprise, the Doctor took her hand in his and dropped to his knees.

"Clara Oswald. Will you marry me?"

Her brain shut itself off.

" _What?_ "

"I-" he stuttered, frowning, "I said, Clara Oswald, will you marry me?" he repeated, this time a bit louder.

"I know what you said but- why? Why would you say that?"

With great remorse on Clara's part, she could practically see his hearts sink, the light in his eyes gone in a fraction of second.

"Well, evidently because I thought you would say yes! What an idiot I am. I'm... I'm sorry- no, not sorry actually, I'm disappointed. I really thought-"

She stopped him mid-sentence, pressing her hand on his mouth.

"Stop. Stop. Shut up. Let's start over. Hello, I'm Clara Oswald, I'm universally known as an idiot and sometimes my mouth opens and blah blah blah the words just come out.  _Yes_ , I love you,  _yes_ , I'll marry you, please don't change your mind?"

She saw the expression of hurt changing into an incredulous, bright smile as she removed her hand. "Really?"

"Really."

"You're not changing your mind either?"

"I will probably panic at least two thousand times before we get to the altar and yes I will change my mind but then I'll change it back, I swear.

"I'm not sure I understand."

"It doesn't matter." Clara felt as though her heart was going to explode. "Come here," she instructed, pulling the Doctor to his feet. She wasn't even sure how she felt. She wondered how long he had been planning this. It was unexpected and romantic and absurd and… perfect. "I would never have suspected you would ask," she murmured between small kisses, on his lips, his cheeks, his nose, anywhere she could reach. Happy. She was happy, she guessed. Just… not a level of happy comparable to anything she had ever felt before.

"I thought it was the sort of thing humans do when they want... forever."

"And you want that?" she questioned, pulling him closer, tugging at his clothes, running her hands through his hair, locking eyes with him, not even sure what she wanted. Probably everything all at once. Stupid, stupid, stupid, beautiful impossible man.

"Of course I do," he said, responding to her kisses.

"Doctor. My Doctor. I want it too. I want you all for myself," she murmured, smiling, kissing down his neck as he moaned softly. She would never get tired of hearing that sound, of the feel of his cool skin warming up rapidly under her touch. "Speaking of which..." She looked up and wiggled her eyebrows suggestively at him, letting her back press against the glass wall and pulling him firmly against her body, grinning a flirtatious grin.

"Clara..." he protested meekly, chuckling lightly. "We are alone but there are cameras..." She tried to silence him with a kiss. "...please, wait."

"No," she said resolutely with a smile.

"Don't you care if they see us?" he asked, taking hold of her wrists, trapping her hands between their bodies, leaning to kiss the top of her head.

"No," she challenged. "Since when do you?" Yes, she was so happy she felt drunk with it. She couldn't stop grinning spontaneously like an idiot. And she didn't care.

"I don't-" She pulled at the collar of his shirt with her teeth, then bit playfully at the junction of his neck and shoulder. "I mean-" The Doctor groaned and involuntarily rocked his hips slightly into hers. "Can't you wait until we get back to the TARDIS?"

"No. Shut up. Shut up, you have conjugal duties to live up to." She freed her hands from his loose grasp and unbuttoned his shirt impatiently, kissing his chest as she exposed the skin.

"We are not married yet... isn't listening to your husband included in  _your_  duties?" he teased. Clara could feel the smile, the laughter in his voice.

"No. Shut up. Shut up, shut up,  _shut up_."

She kissed him again as her hands tugged his shirt out of his trousers and found their button and zipper, and she smiled when he finally sighed in defeat against her lips, his hand fumbling for a second in his jacket pocket, taking out his screwdriver.

Somewhere on the ceiling, she heard a security camera beep as it got shut off.


End file.
